Skip to content
Most drivers understand now that they need to carefully evaluate what they say before they get out of the car to talk to another driver. It might seem so familiar and comforting to ask how the other driver is and apologize for the situation. Unfortunately, all too often drivers admit fault in a wreck and sometimes there are good reasons to do so, but usually, it’s on accident.
If the other driver in your wreck that you were in admitted fault it may have made your claim substantially easier. However, if you let an apology slip or anything similar, then you may have complicated the process. If you’ve been involved in any type of wreck, it’s a good idea to contact an experienced car wreck attorney in Cincinnati, OH.
Hit and Run Charges After Identification
If someone did a hit and skip, then you might feel like there’s nothing that you can do. But if you get an identification on the person or police can identify the car via license plate, then the person may admit fault in an effort to plead guilty and not risk going to court. It’s not common, but it is generally a good reason to admit fault in a crash.
Additionally, in a similar situation, a person may admit fault when they leave a note on your window. If your car was parked, then it’s clear that the wreck wasn’t your fault. To that extent, a note saying, “I hit your car here’s my number,” is admitting fault. Many people may still contest that the note was an admission of fault, but that often doesn’t go anywhere.
Lessen a DUI
To admit fault in a wreck, and again pleading guilting is something that people facing a DUI might consider. They may also want to just admit fault to move onto their other legal trouble at the moment. But even admitting fault doesn’t mean that the insurance companies don’t consider the facts of the crash and look at the wreck objectively.
When you have a DUI involved, it’s something that people jump to conclusions with because people typically blame the drunk driver. The drunk driver will often play a bigger role in fault, but it doesn’t automatically let the other driver off the hook if they did play a part in the crash.
Accidental Admission of Fault
Accidental admission is the most common reason for people admitting guilt, and they don’t even mean to. What happens is that someone gets out of their car and immediately say, “I’m so sorry, are you okay?” It’s reactionary, but just saying it is an admission of fault, even if they didn’t do anything contributing to the crash, they’ll have a hard time fighting that statement later.
It’s not a great reason, it’s not a good reason, but it happens so often, and there are so many cases of people saying, “I didn’t mean it.” The result of saying something that you don’t mean can lose your compensation and can delay your entire case. Now some people will honestly admit when they’ve done something wrong.
If you’ve actually done something wrong, your attorney and for the sake of your insurance company will still likely advise against admitting fault. However, many people believe that admitting when you’ve done something wrong will help earn respect, build courage, and clear your conscience.
Try Not to Admit Fault in a Wreck
So many people immediately apologize or offer some sympathy, and unfortunately, you have to simply avoid that behavior. Don’t say that you were sorry, or that you should have gone sooner, or should have stopped sooner. Don’t offer any sort of insight into the different possibilities. Playing the “what-if’ game and trying to map out what you could have done differently will only make it seem as if you did something wrong.
True, you may feel like you could have gone or stopped earlier, turned faster, or moved over a lane, but that doesn’t make it your fault.
When Should a Driver Contact a Local Car Accident Attorney?
After your wreck, you might be a bit rattled, a bit shaken, and a bit unsure of what to do next. At Young, Reverman & Mazzei, our car wreck law offices in Cincinnati, OH help the victims of crashes know what to do and how to handle themselves through the compensation and claim period.
We’ll do everything in our power to help prove that your crash wasn’t your fault, there are many times when drivers accidentally admit fault and don’t know how else to proceed. We’ll go through fault, establish a strong case, and argue for favorable compensation negotiations. If necessary, we’ll take your claim for your Ohio car accident to court.
